


From the Heart

by HSO Entry (Dragoon_sama)



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-27
Updated: 2011-08-27
Packaged: 2017-10-23 03:12:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/245662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragoon_sama/pseuds/HSO%20Entry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During their gametime in Sgrub, Karkat runs into a little problem with his hacker modus. Luckily for him, Sollux is willing to come help his hopeless friend out. Of course, this doesn't stop him from teasing Karkat mercilessly.</p><p>With their first face to face meeting at hand, Karkat handles himself with grace and aplomb. That is to say, he has a guilty breakdown, nearly gets to kiss Sollux, but is ultimately foiled by a bulgeblocking Terezi.</p><p>All in a gameday's work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is the Solllux♥Karkat entry for round 2 of the HS Olympics.

  
[LOPAH Music](http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/s/8G1MmSandWS/)   


LOPAH was an unchanging twilight in shades of red and black. Karkat's hive towered above the land like a schizophrenic's nightmare. The colorful drawings Terezi had scrawled all over the walls of the building made up a dizzying and chaotic pattern that broke apart the monotony of the landscape. While he hated to admit it, Karkat was thankful to the insane tealblood, as it made navigating his world much easier when he could see his hive from halfway across the planet. Now, though, he was heading for a dungeon that was relatively close to his starting point to complete one of the _necessary_ quests needed to beat this shitty game.

  


A few random imps stared at Karkat in his little boat from the shore, but he ignored them as he drove the craft forward. It wasn't like they could swim, though he warned himself to keep an eye out for any of the flying variety.

  


The sound of the sea of blood lapping against the side of the little boat Karkat was in was just as disturbing as the original sight of the candy-red liquid had been. He hadn't wanted to get any closer to the stuff, _fuck_ no he didn't, but there hadn't been any choice. If he wanted to beat this fucking game, he had to actually _play_ it.

  


The paddle splashed as he pushed the boat along, balancing carefully so as not to tip his craft over. He refused to look down, however. He'd already seen his reflection against the crimson surface once. The sight of himself stained in red had been enough to send him dry heaving and shaking against the gritty black rocks.

  


Ahead of him, he could see the organic looking cave entrance that denoted the dungeon he was after. Fucking game and its fucking symbolism, of _course_ it looked like a blood pusher ripped fresh from his own useless corpse.

  


It only took a few more minutes for the shadow of the cave to pass over Karkat, and he quickly disembarked from the flimsy boat onto the reassuringly solid shore. It was time to beat this sorry excuse for a dungeon.

  


As he'd expected, Karkat had little trouble with the imps and ogres, basilisks and giclopses that he encountered. They were just more of the same canon fodder that were crawling all over his disease-infested world.

  

  
[Boss music](http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/s/I6DjR8iwIfY/)   


  


  


The boss, however, was a different matter. It wasn't that Karkat thought the thing could beat him. Well, it could, but he'd cull himself for being so pathetic as to be killed by a game construct before it could get anywhere near him. The others balked at his leaderly orders as it was. Still, he needed his sickle to rip the thing apart properly.

  

Except... He had forgotten about the fucking nooksucking fetch modus he had equipped. Fuck Sollux and his fucking 'you're not a real programmer kk' attitude.

  

The boss already meant business, and the only thing Karkat could think to do was grab the weighty block of his encrypted sickle. A lashing tentacle slammed into it, not even putting a crack in the square construct. Fuck, he'd sort of hoped that would smash it and free up his weapon.

  


All it accomplished was doublecrypting his weapon. A little desperately Karkat chucked the encrypted sickle at the boss. It was surprisingly effective, as the monster let out a piercing shriek of pain.

  


Struck by inspiration, Karkat quickly grabbed another encrypted card. He began a multi-layer encryption of the block, tossing into the air over the boss' head before it got too heavy. The solid _chunk chunk_ of each progressive level echoed loudly even over the enraged chittering of the boss.

  


chunk

  


Chunk

  


  
_Chunk_   


  


  
_CHUNK_   


  


  


  
_  
**CHUNKWHOOSHWHAM**   
_   


  


...And like a total fuckwit, Karkat realized that his only other exit to this fucking room had just been blocked off by an immovably heavy piece of encrypted fuck-knows-what.

  


  
_Fuck._   


carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling centaursTesticle [CT]

CG: HEY FUCKWIT.  
CG: SINCE ALL YOU'RE GOOD FOR IS YOUR RIDICULOUSLY STUPID STRENGTH.  
CG: GET YOUR SWEATY ASS OVER HERE AND GIVE ME A FUCKING HAND.  
CG: ...  
CG: FUCK, YOU'RE NOT EVEN NEAR YOUR COMPUTER ARE YOU?  
CG: GOG DAMNIT FINE.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling centaursTesticle [CT]  
carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

CG: FUCK YOU.   
TA: hello two you two kk.   
CG: SAVE IT FOR SOMEONE WHO GIVES A SQUEAKBEAST'S ASS.  
CG: I.  
CG: FUCK.   
TA: eheheheh thii2 2hould be good.   
CG: YEAH YEAH LAUGH IT UP, CAPTOR.  
CG: I NEED YOUR HELP.  
CG: THERE, ARE YOU HAPPY? IS YOUR SHRIVELED BLOODPUSHER THROBBING WITH JOY NOW THAT YOU HAVE HEARD THOSE WORDS DRIPPING FROM MY MOUTH LIKE WEEK OLD SLIME?   
TA: that2 not the only thiing that ii2 throbbiing for you.   
CG: I'M FUCKING LEAVING.  
CG: FUCKING ZAHHAK AND HIS DISGUSTING TOWELS ARE BETTER THAN THIS SHIT.   
TA: geeze kk youre 2uch a 2ore liitle wriiggler.  
TA: what the hell do you need anyway ii am kiind of bu2y here.   
CG: OH MY GOD I'M SO FUCKING SORRY.  
CG: YOU'RE BUSY. OF COURSE. IT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND THAT ANY OF YOU TWITS DID ANYTHING OTHER THAN FUCKING WASTE ALL OUR TIME WITH YOUR MORONIC SIDE QUESTS.  
CG: LET ME JUST SIT HERE AND WAIT FOR HIS MAJESTY'S PLEASURE INSTEAD OF DOING ALL THE IMPORTANT SHIT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO KEEP YOU IDIOTS FROM KILLING EACH OTHER.   
TA: dont fliip your 2hiit man you really cant 2urpre22 how much you want me by your 2iide can you.  
TA: iits okay kk ii can leave ff here two fiinii2h thii2 moroniic 2iideque2t a2 you put iit.  
TA: iit wiill be ju2t liike one of your 2hiitty romcom2.   
CG: FUCK.  
CG: THANKS, I GUESS.

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]  
carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

CG: HEY ARE WE STILL FRIENDS EVEN THOUGH I SAID ALL THAT SHIT?   
TA: kk 2ometiime2 you are two much.  
TA: ye2 we are 2tiill friiend2.  
TA: you piitiiful fuck.

twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

CG: WAIT WHAT THE FUCK?  
CG: ...

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

  


  
[Cruising music](http://www.thesixtyone.com/#/s/3BC7Jxz7vBm/)   


  


Like fucking clockwork, not even ten minutes later there was a disgustingly meaty sound as the wall to the dungeon exploded inward, Sollux glowing at the center of the destruction. His grin was far too smug as he took in Karkat, the block of encryption, and the grist still scattered carelessly across the floor that Karkat hadn't bothered to collect.

"You know kk, if you wanted to get me alone you could have jutht athked."

"Because _this_ is what I needed. My life is complete now that I have _Thollux fucking Captor_ panting for my bulge like the drones are pounding on the door."

"Eheheheh, careful kk, or I might jutht take you up on the offer."

"Just...just fucking shut up and get rid of the damn thing."

Sometimes, Karkat reflected, he didn't know whether to take Sollux's teasing seriously or not.

  


"Eheheh, jeez, you really thuck at thith, don't you?"

"Oh _thank you_ for getting all up in my face about how much fucking _better_ you are at this shit than I am. Fuck you very much, Captor. This is your fault in the first place, you grub sniffing, waste eating, bulge ra--"

  


"Your thickle, oh magnifithent leader."

  


Five layers. Five layers of encryption, and that bulgemuncher Sollux managed to decrypt it in under a minute. Five layers in under a minute, when Karkat had yet to be able to decrypt even a _single_ layer, despite spending a good three hours once trying to free up a sickle rather than retrieve his lost one from the lake of blood it had fallen into. _Five fucking layers--_

Karkat snatched the sickle from Sollux's hand, and fought the urge to toss it to the ground. It would only get recaptcha'd, and then he'd have to put up with the smug little chuckle of Sollux's as he freed it. Again. His rising aggravation was doing nothing for the thick ball of guilt that had lodged itself in his throat from the moment he'd trolled Sollux.

Maybe he should have just waited for Equius' return. Seeing Sollux in person, alive and well was dredging up all his memories. Memories of the same face lifeless and slack, yellow blood leaking from every orifice like accusations _you fucked up look at what you've done you can even save your friend..._ Karkat took a shaky breath, frustration rising and choking him further as it shook in his throat. The fuck was wrong with him, it was just _Sollux_ , and Feferi had already fixed Karkat's monumental screw up.

Sollux's smug smirk was slipping, a frown tugging at the corner of his mouth as his eyebrows knit together. "Hey, are you okay?"

Karkat suppressed a flinch as Sollux moved closer, but couldn't help the curl of his lip as he half-snarled. Despite living amongst rustbloods, Karkat had kept himself to his hive as often as he could, unwilling to risk his blood color being found out even among the lowest of the low. He was unused to being this close to another troll, and because it was someone who _mattered_ this time made it all the harder.

Karkat's voice nearly failed him. "Fucking...fine." His jaw creaked as he grit his teeth, his knuckles whitened around his sickle. He tried to tell himself to stop freaking out, but it was just making the tight ball of misery worse.

Sollux moved forward again, all humor gone as this time Karkat did take a step back, refusing to meet his eyes. "Well, I'm no exthpert, but I'd thay you're not fucking fine at all. What the hell, kk?" He folded his arms across his chest and regarded Karkat from behind his freaky bi-colored glasses. "I didn't fly all the way out to thith athcrack of a world jutht tho you could freak out on me..." Sollux's voice trailed off as Karkat took another shuddering breath, the sickle dropping from numb fingers to clang against the black rock.

The last thing Karkat had expected was to feel the hot, burning sensation behind his eyes. Years of practice made it easy to keep even the merest glimmer of red from showing, but the fact that he _wanted_ to shook Karkat more than he liked. He ground the back of one fist angrily against his eye, trying to banish the sick feeling as he mumbled, "Sorry..."

If anything, the single world only served to agitate Sollux more. "What? Did you get hurt or thomething? Shit, kk, what--" He was cut off as Karkat exploded, stalking forward to get right in Sollux's face.

"I said I'm fucking sorry! Okay?" he snarled, lashing out and shoving a hand into Sollux's chest. The gemini rocked backward, but didn't move back like Karkat had hoped. "I'm sorry I k-killed your sorry ass, you fucking stupid..."

He cut off as Sollux let out an exaggerated sigh. A crackle behind him was Karkat's only warning as Sollux used his power to slap him upside the head. "Thith ith what it'th all about? Yeth dying really thucked, but gogdamnit I'm fine now, tho it hardly matterth."

Rubbing the back of his head, Karkat straightened slowly as he eyed Sollux. It was true that no permanent harm had come to his friend, and it did help to hear it from Sollux's own mouth. Fuck, he was acting like a wriggler, blowing thing out of proportion as usual. If he could go back in time, he'd kick his own ass for being so pathetic.

Sollux grinned suddenly, taking the opportunity to step right up to Karkat before he could think to protest. His arm's wrapped firmly around Karkat's waist as he pulled him into an embrace. Wide-eyed at Sollux's audacity, Karkat spluttered for a moment, unsure how to react. He didn't know what to do with his hands, didn't know what to _say_ , and settled for gripping the back of the gemini's shirt awkwardly. Sollux's voice buzzed low in his ear when he spoke. "God you're thuch a pitiful fuckball thometimeth."

Flushing slightly, Karkat tried not to read into the words. "Stop _saying_ things like that, asshole."

"Why?" Sollux asked unapologetically. "You are theriouthly the motht pitiful troll I know. It'th practically inevitable I'd feel flushed for your thorry ath."

"...I swear, if you're fucking with me right now--" Karkat's breath caught in his throat as Sollux looked at him, mouth set in a smug smirk but eyes behind those ridiculous glasses softened with an emotion Karkat refused to name. He was leaning in, and Karkat just _knew_ he was going to--

  


Something nudged Karkat in the back of the head, hard, pitching his head forward hard enough that his chin hit his chest. Swearing and clawing at Sollux's sleeve when the yellowblood laughed, Karkat craned his neck around to see what the hell had hit him.

  


The floating green cursor weaved tauntingly above their heads, almost as if it was mocking the pair.

  


"Fucking, nookslurping, horn biting _hell_." Karkat immediately tried to separate himself from Sollux's grasp, but the gemini wasn't budging at all. In a flash of red and blue light, the annoying cursor froze in place. In another crackle of power, the encrypted card that held Karkat's computer beeped, depositing the device right next to Sollux.

twinArmageddons [TA] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

TA: hey, tz, ii'm goiing two 2ay thii2 once and only once and you're goiing two 2hut your 2lobbery hole and lii2ten  
TA: 2o iit'2 liike thii2  
TA: leave u2 alone becau2e ii am goiing two kii22 kk  
GC: H3H3H3  
GC: OK4Y MR 4PPL3B3RRY BL4ST  
GC: BUT ONLY B3C4US3 YOU 4SK3D SO N1C3LY!  
GC: >:]  
TA: ii'm glad we had thii2 dii2cu22iion

twinArmageddons [TA] ceased trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

  



End file.
